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From: stitchmd
Date: 10-10-2003, 12:36 PM (1 of 11)
| Does anyone own or have use of a home scissor sharpening machine? If so how do you like it? Is it easy to use, are the results good, any other comments? What brand have you used? I am considering buying one vs. having my scissors professionally sharpened and would like help weighing the costs and results of each method. |
User: stitchmd
Member since: 02-25-2003 Total posts: 226 |
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 10-10-2003, 06:13 PM (2 of 11)
I cannot tell you about that.. My son works in a machine shop and all the men there sharpen the scissors for all their family members.. My Fiskars and Mundial shears are in good shape and have not needed any attention yet.. I am taking my pinking shears to Hancocks end of month.. They had a notice up the other day sharpener would be there..I cannot find anyone else experienced with those.. 
Sew With Love
Libby |
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002 Total posts: 2022 
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From: wghmch
Date: 10-10-2003, 06:22 PM (3 of 11)
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A sharpener that is precision enough to use on a good pair of shears will cost fairly big bucks, and you need a lot of training, such as burr removal, (or not) angle of the blade, polishing, adjusting the screw, (usually takes a special tool, etc. You would have to sucessfully sharpen a lot of scissors to pay for the machine and the pairs you would probably ruin while learning. Incidentally, just because someone has one of those machines and advertises that they sharpen, does not assure you that they are competent. Bill Holman |
User: wghmch
Member since: 03-04-2003 Total posts: 249 |
From: Ann C
Date: 10-11-2003, 07:17 AM (4 of 11)
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I have my own live-in scissor sharpener! Aren't I lucky! Whenever any of mine need sharpening, I just hand them to him along with his carborundum stone and he sits and sharpens for me. I supply him with bits of fabric to practice on until he is satisfied that they are as sharp as they were originally. I just wish we had a way of sharpening rotary cutter blades! I bought one of those sharpener thingys and it absolutely doesn't work for me or my DH who understands about sharpening! He said that the surface that the blade grinds on is poor quality! I had a pair of pinking shears that had gotten terribly dull and I didn't have much hope for getting them sharpened. A few years ago, one of our department stores that was still carrying fabric at the time brought in a scissor sharpener from one of the bigger factories - I'm not sure whether it was Gingher or Mundial or Wiss, but he worked on them while I watched and in side of 2 - 3 minutes, they were cutting better than they ever had!!! They are still as sharp as ever, but then I don't use them like I used to. Thanks to the serger, most of my seam edges are taken care of without the pinking shears. Ann C
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User: Ann C
Member since: 04-26-2003 Total posts: 21 |
From: habanerohutch
Date: 10-11-2003, 01:29 PM (5 of 11)
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Ann, I am so glad to hear that someone who is experienced at sharpening agrees with me that the rotary blade sharpener is not what it's cracked up to be. I have used mine several times, carefully following the instructions, etc and find it does not help. fortunately I only need a new blade every couple years, so it's not a major expense. someone once posted that maybe the blade is nicked rather than dull and suggested putting two of those blades on together in the hope that the nicks whould not be in exactly the same places. I plan to try that next time I get ready to discard a blade. Some of the women in my ASG chapter have a scissor sharpening machine that was purchased maybe at nancy's or Clotilde's, I'm not sure. anyway they are very happy with the way it sharpens their scissors. The caveat there is that "happy" depends on the personal standards of the recommender. And with all due respect, I doubt these ladies' expertise can hold a candle to Bill's. So I don't think I'll buy one. Lala Chile Pepper from Texas
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User: habanerohutch
Member since: 07-01-2000 Total posts: 49 |
From: Ann C
Date: 10-11-2003, 05:44 PM (6 of 11)
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From what DH says, you end up grinding away far too much steel with those electric jobbies! I think I would stay away from them, too. Of course, with a live-in scissor sharpener, I can be picky!! LOL
Ann C
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User: Ann C
Member since: 04-26-2003 Total posts: 21 |
From: mamagoose
Date: 10-11-2003, 09:31 PM (7 of 11)
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I purchased one of those little Fiskars plastic boxes with the "x" inside for $6 at Walmart recently and was pleasantly surprised with the results. I used it on Fiskars, Mundials and cheapies for paper. I just ran them through a couple of times. mamagoose |
User: mamagoose
Member since: 01-26-2002 Total posts: 168 |
From: Ann Made
Date: 10-13-2003, 12:16 PM (8 of 11)
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I also have a live in scissor sharpener. He does my Gingher scissors 3 to 5 times a year. I use them constantly. My biggest worry is the girls at school cutting pins. They do that occasionally but it is not on purpose. I won't let anyone else touch them not even the shop teacher I am that picky. I had a scissor sharpener ruin an expensive pair of scissors once. Ann  PS. Happy Thanksgiving 
Learning is a journey, not a race.
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User: Ann Made
Member since: 04-07-2001 Total posts: 67 
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From: MaryW
Date: 10-13-2003, 07:13 PM (9 of 11)
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Mamagoose, I have one of those. It works great on my Henckels too.
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: plrlegal
Date: 10-13-2003, 08:30 PM (10 of 11)
I have one of those and I've never figured out how to really use it on my scissors.  Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: mamagoose
Date: 10-14-2003, 07:48 AM (11 of 11)
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Patsy, Try it on a cheap pair of paper scissors. There were directions on the back of the package that shows to use a slow motion like you're cutting. Good luck! mamagoose |
User: mamagoose
Member since: 01-26-2002 Total posts: 168 |
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